Asheville And BuncomBe county

speAks out on

educAtion, income And heAlth

voices for the common Good:

united WAy oF Asheville And BuncomBe county theoRy oF chAnGe

united WAy oF Asheville And BuncomBe county vision, mission, vAlues

united WAy oF Asheville And BuncomBe county tABle oF contents

vision: A strong, caring community mission: mobilize our community to help people improve their lives and care for one another.

vAlues: collective Action integrity community Focus Responsiveness compassion Results innovation

intRoductioneXecutive summARyWhAt We leARneddisconnected youthimplicAtions: movinG FoRWARdin conclusionAppendiXAcknoWledGements

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7-1514-1516-18

1920-23

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When we engage and mobilize people to give, advocate and volunteer, when we invest resources in and connect people to solutions in education, income and health and when we sustain and enhance the intellectual, financial and physical resources to carry out this work, then we can improve lives and advance the common good.

united WAy oF Asheville And BuncomBe county ABout ouR WoRk

united Way is mobilizing people into collective action through giving, advocating and volunteering in the areas of education, income and health. We believe these are the building blocks of a good life for everyone. that’s what it means to live united! By making results-based investments in our community, we support long-lasting, measurable change in people’s lives, right here in Asheville and Buncombe county.

2

What kind of community do you want to live in? What does it mean to have a “good life?” What gets in the way of those aspirations? What can be done to make a difference? Who do you trust to create the kind of community you want? These are the questions United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County asked a variety of local residents. Read on to find out what we learned.

Why united WAy?In 2009, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County directed its

focus on education, income and health as the building blocks for a good life for everyone. Recognizing that a single organization cannot address every possible community interest, resources were redirected to specific community results across those three areas. Along with that move came a call to the community to Live United and join together to give, advocate and volunteer to make real change in the education, income and health issues facing Buncombe County.

When United Way Worldwide, along with the Harwood Institute, introduced community conversations as a way to ‘look outward’ - to learn more about what people care about and what they want to see happen - United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County knew this was an important approach.

WhAt We didPrompted by the United Way Worldwide Campaign for the Common Good which began in 2010, we joined others around the country to learn how to conduct community conversations. There have been three phases of our conversations:

I. With support from United Way Worldwide, we began hosting education conversations in November 2010 in response to the documentary, “Waiting for Superman”; which challenged public education, school lotteries, teachers unions, and poor performing and unsafe schools.

Ninety-eight people showed up at First Baptist Church in Asheville to hear about our city and county public education systems and to discuss their ideas for this community and the

“united Way is uniquely positioned to bring people together, listen to their concerns and hopes for the future and then share that information in making decisions about how to invest our resources, raise our voices and lend our muscles.

“personally, i very much enjoyed participating in these conversations and seeing the many areas in which we want the same things for our community and for our families.”

suzanne deFerie

intRoduction

3

education of our children. At the conclusion of that event, people identified others who should be part of the education discussion and thus, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County’s Community Conversations Project was launched. Eight more groups were recruited in 2011 and continued the discussion of education and its impact on our community.

II. In early 2012, United Way Worldwide launched an international conversation focused on opportunity, adding questions about what it means to have a good life and what keeps youth who are unemployed and have dropped out of school from having the chance at a good life. We adopted this focus locally and asked those questions of Buncombe County residents. In the first three months of 2012, five targeted groups of youth and parents shared their perspectives.

III. Through the remainder of 2012, 13 additional groups were convened to broaden our range of participants and incorporate questions from the first two phases to better understand general community issues that included education and opportunity.

After each conversation, we sent a summary of what people said to the participants as a way to check if we captured their words adequately.

This report incorporates several years’ worth of work, is based on conversations with a wide segment of the community and uncovers clear themes. Data is very useful and our community has lots of it, but the focus here is what people think...and what people think matters.

When we combine these messages with other local studies such as the Asheville Values Study by the Barrett Institute, Tell Us What You Think!; Understanding the Strengths and Needs of Buncombe County Communities by Buncombe County Health and Human Services, Asheville City Schools Foundation’s Listening to Our Teens, Asheville Buncombe Community Relations Council’s Listening Tour, and Buncombe County’s Community Health Assessment, we discover opportunities to come together to create the kind of community people want.

Who should ReAd this?This report is for those who care about the people who live and work here. It is for people in leadership positions in the community; people who aspire to serve in leadership positions; those who provide services to our residents, such as law enforcement, medical personnel, educators, employers, public and private service providers; and most importantly those who want to make their community a wonderful place for everyone to live, work, play, raise a family and grow old.

please join us as we continue to listen to people in our community and shape our work accordingly.

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Suzanne DeFerie2012-2013 Chair, Board of DirectorsUnited Way of Asheville and Buncombe County

Tracy Buchanan2010-2011 Chair, Board of DirectorsUnited Way of Asheville and Buncombe County

eXecutive summARy- locAl theme #1: people want to be healthy and safe in their community.

- locAl theme #2: people envision living harmoniously with their neighbors.

- locAl theme #3: people are adamant that everyone have the opportunity to thrive.

- locAl theme #4: people get excited about living in a vibrant, happy community.

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During the course of 24 months, we convened 42 small groups and asked participants to share their aspirations for their community, what gets in the way of those aspirations, what can be done to fix them and who they trust to fix them. As you can see in the Appendix, we listened to a wide variety of people with unique backgrounds and points of view.

While there were differences in ideas and words, what connected the discussions is compelling. What do 326 people in Buncombe County think about this community? Are there enough areas of agreement to move forward collectively? ‘Yes’ is our resounding answer.

In fact, Buncombe County residents echoed the rest of the country and even the world. In 2011, United Way Worldwide produced a national report, Voices for the Common Good: America Speaks out on Education. United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County submitted responses from 98 people in Buncombe County for inclusion in the report. Across the country, and here at home, in discussions about the kind of community people want and how education impacts it, people said:

• When you improve schools, you improve communities and vice versa• People feel disconnected from schools• Instilling values is just as important as teaching academics• We’ve reached a turning point in education• People want to work together on this, but they aren’t sure what to do

Then in 2012, United Way Worldwide produced an international report, Voices for the Common Good: The World Speaks Out on Opportunity. Again, Buncombe County residents words were included. The themes from people in 12 countries were:

• Opportunity means the same thing worldwide: a job that pays, a decent education and a healthy community• People, especially young people, say they are on their own• People say we need to step up and step forward

Continuing on with conversations locally, we kept asking what kind of community people want to live in and what it means to have a good life. After 42 conversations with 326 individuals, we uncovered four local themes: • Healthy: To Buncombe County folks, this means physical safety, access to the outdoors, medical and mental health care, good food and clean environment.

• Harmonious: People want to get along with everyone, respect differences and support each other.

• Thriving: We need to meet basic needs, secure good paying and interesting jobs, provide quality education and offer a level playing field for everyone.

• Vibrant: People appreciate the variety, energy and enthusiasm in Buncombe County and want leaders who will work together to protect what we have and plan for the future.

“today our politics and public life are toxic, filled with acrimony and divisiveness. For many of us, there are too few leaders we trust and too many organizations seemingly concerned only with their own good rather than the common good.

“And yet...it is clear that Americans yearn to re-engage and reconnect with one another, and to restore their sense of belief in our individual and collective ability to get things done.”

Richard harwood from the call to turn outward

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WhAt We leARned

“We thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our opinions.”

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Throughout all the questions to all the different people and the issues they raised, it was clear that people understand advancing the common good is critical. People understand and embrace the concept that we all do better when we all do better and appear willing to work to make it happen.

Utlimately, people said we need to work together for the safety, health, education, jobs, environment and opportunity in our community, and we must respect and support everyone. If we find better ways to bring people together to strengthen our community, we can make a difference across all four areas. Here are some of the details of what people had to say:

healthy - A World Without FearConversations around health fell into three categories:

• General well-being in a healthy, pollution-free environment and opportunities to be healthy• Being able to get care when sick or injured or emotionally distressed• Personal safety in homes, parks, neighborhoods, streets and schools

When talking about the kind of community people want to live in, they most often mentioned safety. Violence was a particular concern of the young people who spoke out.

Youth talked about wanting peace and quiet and safety as part of their ideal place to live. Several youth stated that a good life is one where they live without fear. Among all the conversations, these were some of the insightful comments on health:

We want to live in a healthy community that is/has...Safe enough to go out at night and to raise a family hereLess stress; emotionally safePrograms to break cycles of violence and traumaKids without fearSafe schoolsGood foodOpportunities to be outside; walkableHelp when you are sickServices for disabled and elderlyProtected environmentLitter free

We see these barriers to having that kind of healthy community...Conflicting agendasFear; feeling unsafe to walk aloneLack of safety in public housingViolenceAbandoned buildingsSubstance abuse (drugs, alcohol)Teen pregnancyPoor quality food; poor diet

“i want to be safe enough to go out at night...i’ve lost eight friends under age 20 in the past five years to violence.”

“you can be shot just over words.”

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We believe these actions around health could make a difference...More availability of law enforcementPeople willing to speak up, report what they observeClean up neighborhoods and housesEducationCreate walkable communitiesCommunity gardens, school gardensEveryone should have access to healthcareProfessionals donating their services

harmonious - Why can’t We All Just Get Along?Discussions in all of the groups included words like “inclusive,” “divisive,” “accepting,” “prejudice,” “equality” and “segregation.” They came up with almost every question and in many areas, including

health care, jobs, education, safety and leadership. The two summary categories for harmony are:

• Getting to know each other• Respecting everyone

Folks seem hungry for connections to each other and they want to feel valued, respected, not judged. They want to come together, help each other and take responsibility. They worry about competition, politics, lack of truthful information and neighborhoods where people don’t know each other. Here is some of their language:

We want to live in a harmonious community that is/has...Acceptance; respectJust (people are treated fairly); social justice, not charity Freedom to do what you want, to be who you want to beAppreciate the tension and debateHelp healing from the negative stuff in the pastFriendly, nice neighbors; caring, welcomingIntegrated neighborhoods (intergenerational, multicultural)People help each other, participate, take responsibilityOpportunities to get involvedPeople do what they say they will; tell truthBalance rights and needs

“i just want to be accepted...to be valued, respected.”

“compromise seems like it is viewed as a negative thing, when it used to be something that was valued.”

“We have a segregated and stratified community.”

“the communication stream between urban and rural residents needs to be built up.”

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We see these barriers to having that kind of harmonious community...Competition; lack of coordination among resourcesInability to deal with big issues; no long-term viewPeople who don’t want to “rock the boat” and call out problemsPolitics on how money is spent and different prioritiesCity/County divide - acceptance of diversity throughout the county; Asheville viewed as “freaks;” urban vs. rural; polarizing county and city governmentRacial, religious and sexual prejudice existsReligions that use fear and guilt; create a “we” and “they” setting in communityJudgment; bias; prejudice; narcissismLack of relationships; distrust; isolationNot educating youth about diversity and respecting differencesYouth who think no one cares; no advocates for youthDifferent cultures network differently and want different thingsInflux of people has changed the communityTopography (geographic spread)

We believe these actions around harmony could make a difference...Build relationships; networkFind leaders willing to work together; redefine leadershipHave more diversity of people in leadership rolesGet nonprofits to work together moreSee retirees as a resourceGet newcomers committed and engagedProvide information in SpanishHonest communications - especially the difficult onesListeningGive beyond financial donations, invest human power and time to issuesGet out and help; participate; more volunteer opportunities

thriving - smart people, Good opportunitiesParticipants were fairly adamant about everyone being able to make ends meet. The term living wage was repeated and, as one person said, “living wage for all, including those that cannot work – a way that they can be supported as well.” People want a community that prospers and flourishes:

• Provides a good education for everyone• Offers opportunities for everyone to succeed• Economically strong

They are also aware of the supplementary services that are needed: good public transportation, quality child care, sidewalks, decent housing and information about and support for opportunities and training.

When talking about what gets in their way of having a good life, youth described not having goals, nothing to strive for, feeling

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“people can move from survival to fulfillment.”

“We are rewarding the wrong things. teachers, nurses, law enforcement are losing ground, while we bail out companies.”

“our current value is greed. We’ve lost sight of the greater good.”

“we can provide an education that is meaningful, relevant and connected to the real world.”

trapped and desperate. They were critical of the lack of life skills training in the home and at school, the notion that it is “cool to

be poor,” and that some young people “don’t want to work just to pay a bill.”

The notion of not wanting to work just to pay a bill was repeated in the discussions with young adults. It reflected several different concepts:

• Work is drudgery that gets you nowhere• Work doesn’t necessarily lead to living a better lifestyle• Work isn’t something interesting or meaningful.

We want to live in a thriving community that is/has...Community sets high standards for education for allGood communication between teachers, parents, youth and communityVolunteers encouraged to work in the schoolsTeachers who are there to help, have a sense of humor, respect different learning styles and are patientOpportunity (choice of meaningful careers)Level playing field; chance to pursue goalsLiving wages; available jobs

We see these barriers to having that kind of thriving community...Classroom size (too many students in one room)Teachers not feeling supportedTeachers not aware of what is happening at home; unstable home livesKids who are bored in schoolLow-income kids not getting basic reading and math skills (achievement gap)Cuts in after-school programs; extra help for studentsExpensive to live here; expensive housingChildren going hungryQuality child care is expensiveLow-wage jobs; gap between wages and cost of livingLack of education or trainingPoliticians are not open to other people’s needsPoor urban planning; need affordable housing near jobsResistance for property owners to participate in public planning; anti-developmentLack of personal goals; despairLack of life skills; looking for “easy;” sense of entitlementNegative role models; following the wrong folks

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“maybe we could do something where community members shadow students in the schools during the day and then students could shadow the adult in the community through field trips to their job, internships and things like that?”

We believe these actions around thriving could make a difference...Teach wealth creation; learn how to manage moneyQuality early childhood educationInternships; opportunity to explore careers; mentoringGood out-of-school-time programsValue education more than sportsSupport parents in engaging in their chil-dren’s education; families feel valued by schools; feel welcome at schoolsTeachers create a sense of community in the classroomSupport public schools and talk about the issues they faceSet high expectations for youthRecognizing young people working on changeSupport local businesses that engage in the community and treat employees wellBetter professional growth opportunitiesOpportunities for life-long learningMore all-inclusive resource centers; organized service deliveryHelp wealthy newcomers become aware of the issues hereRe-allocate public financial resources; shuffle priorities; be thoughtful in our growthBetter public transportationMore affordable housing

vibrant - makes you Want to smile!Folks got excited when talking about the more pleasant aspects of a good life and their ideal community. Young people in particular talked about wanting to play, have fun, laugh, be happy and be loved. Themes were:

• Creativity• Activity• Natural beauty• Balance of work and play

One adult participant said her idea of a good life is “to have people in my life that I care about and care about me.”

The opportunity, time and means to move from survival to fulfillment resonated with people. They talked about being “anchored and growing, innovative, always re-creating.”

As similarly reflected in the Barrett Values Centre study, in which humor, fun and creativity ranked as the top two personal values, people echoed those words in these conversations. Yet, they consistently see leadership struggles (city, county and state government and other institutions) getting in the way of achieving a vibrant community.

“love where you are living, and create your own good life.

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disconnectedAs part of our community listening, United Ways in 34 communities in the U.S. (including Asheville, NC) also reached out to “disconnected youth” - young people generally aged 16-24 that have dropped out of school and are unemployed. We wanted to better understand how this particular group of young people think about opportunity, the challenges they see, and what they think needs to happen to get us back on track.

In these communities, young people consistently shared that they felt isolated and on their own to figure out how to get ahead. They described this feeling in a variety of ways. In one community, youth talked about not having people in their neighborhoods who cared about them. They pointed out that they didn’t have any adults to help guide them to job opportunities or help them figure out how to get an education. In another community, young people expressed that they felt their parents’ generation had essentially abandoned them.

As you see in this report, these feelings were echoed by many parents from their own perspective. They expressed concerns that their kids are being left on

We want to live in a vibrant community that is/has...Alive; dynamic; excitingFun activities, recreation, social outletsEnergetic downtown

Music, art, theatre, festivals, sports, hob-bies, good eats, shoppingYouth activitiesEnriching opportunities for constantly learning and evolvingDifferent languages spokenPassion about what you believe and doBe assertive about the kind of community you want to haveAn interesting life; a reason to get up in the morningIntellectual stimulationA place to have spiritual conversationsLove; happinessLeisure timeA place where people want to smile, look you in the eye and say “Good morning”

We see these barriers to having that kind of vibrant community...Government, faith and business leaders not working togetherWe don’t own local political control (it’s owned by the state legislature)State laws tying the hands of decision makersAttending to tourist needs over local needs for activitiesPublic investments are all wrong; waste of resourcesPoorly planned developmentLack of flexibility and support for innovationsThings that attract people are disappearing (air, water, mountain views)Privatizing public responsibilityWho will pay for it?

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youththeir own too much during the day and that they no longer have time to support their kids the way they would like to because of job and other life pressures.

The young people we heard from also suggested that to get ahead they need to step forward and take initiative.

Although in some places, they said they felt the effort was futile because they couldn’t see a path to employment that would lead them to be able to build a savings and become self-sustainable. The idea of stepping forward was expressed both as a need to take more personal responsibility, but also as a reflection of their feeling that institutions and other people simply were not going to offer solutions or help.

United Way was invited to share their findings with the White House Council for Community Solutions, which has a particular interest in helping connect young people to education, employment, and civic opportunities in their communities. The White House Council will leverage what we learned to help shape potential strategies to help these young people connect to opportunities to succeed.

We believe these actions around vibrant could make a difference...Visionary leadersGet leadership involved; develop a closer networkMore public infrastructure (transportation, lighting, sidewalks)Protect mountain sceneryMotivate more people to run for elected officeVote; stay informed; attend board meetingsSupport risk takersRemember our history, value tradition and heritage and appreciate itNever be content; always want the community to be better, progressiveMake decisions based on how they will impact future generations

“newcomers, stop bringing your bad ideas to town! We have the community we want, we just fear losing it. Asheville is not like pittsburgh, not like charlotte, not like Atlanta. don’t bring in all the things that would make us a city with issues.”

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Whatever steps are taken, they should be based on the following principles:

• Greater integrity and honesty in how people engage in public life and politics; what one local resident labeled “truth- tellers”.• More discipline in staying true to a sense of public purpose and to focus on what is important. (For example, focus on kids when discussing education, not the politics of public school reform.)• Exercise trust and respect in how we deal with each other, recognizing that we are in relationships with one another, not just living in isolation or only insular circles of family, friends and like-minded groups.

What will united Way do?As our board, staff and volunteers continue to review these findings, we pledge to provide ways for people to work together and to support each other.

• We will use this information to direct our plans to make a difference in the community, clarifying the results needed in education, income and health as the building blocks for a good life. • We will sharpen our focus on middle school students and their opportunities for safe, healthy, and engaging activities

both inside and outside the classroom. We know that success-ready 9th graders have better chances of graduation from high school and along with that, better chances for a good life. • We will expand our reach into the community to share information on available resources through 2-1-1.• We will continue to offer and further promote ways for people to engage with us and with other organizations through Hands On Asheville, United Way’s volunteer center. • We will use what we have learned to recruit and support new community leaders, to advocate for change and to invest in important community work.• We will cross boundaries to work with new partners.

We will particularly honor the words we have heard. People in Buncombe County made the time to sit with each other and share their aspirations for a good life in a good community. Those aspirations include understanding that a different approach is needed.

As an AmeriCorps/Vista participant said: “We can’t solve problems with the same mindset that created them. Some policies that worked 50, 100 years ago won’t work in these changing times.”

implicAtions:movinG FoRWARd

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“it is leadership from within our communities that is most needed and vital to our future; a leadership that will come from individuals of all walks of life - including small neighborhood groups, foundations, united Ways, public broadcasting, civic organizations, as well as from folks who simply join together to solve a problem.”

Richard harwood

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What can other people and organizations do?

1. Specific institutions can use this information to inform their work, pick an issue that aligns with their directions and engage community members to help make change happen. For example: school systems, law enforcement, community relations, faith groups, and nonprofits.

2. Individuals can pick a topic here that aligns with their interests and get involved in working with others for real change. For example: people can collectively volunteer.

3. Groups (public entities, nonprofits, businesses, civic organizations, neighborhood associations, etc.) can come together to collectively tackle an issue along with people in the community. For example: they can span current boundaries and become knowledgeable about what is happening and needs to happen in the community.

4. Community leaders and potential community leaders can more actively engage their constituents. For example: they can learn to listen to the concerns and ideas of people, including young people. They can seek ways to make public life and politics work and find opportunities to engage people in the ongoing process of governing and improving their lives.

Regarding this final point, it is important to note the following:

When asked at the end of the conversation “Who do you trust to take on these issues?” people were slow to respond and often the first answer was “No one.” When pushed to name individuals or groups, they most frequently said “it’s up to me” or named friends or associates.

People also felt strongly about tensions between the city and the county governments as well as the role of state officials.

This seems to support the theory by Harwood that people have lost faith in public institutions. However, it should be noted that some folks did mention a few organizations, nonprofit leaders and specific elected officials with City Council and County Board of Commissioners. So there is some level of trust with local leadership in this community.

“it’s hard to own our community when we can’t own local political control.”

When you have a real problem that needs immediate attention, where is the leadership in the community? Where can you pull the leadership together immediately to get a response? Who is going to convene that group?”

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in conclusion

people in Buncombe county have opinions about their community and when asked, are eager to share their ideas. our residents want the freedom to create their own good life. they also want to be sure others have their basic needs met and the opportunity for a good life.

people have a fondness for this place and thus a reluctance to see it change dramatically. Given the chance to participate in the work of making Buncombe county safe, healthy, just, educated, economically sound for all, and alive with energy and enthusiasm, folks said they would like to help.

let’s create more ways to get each other involved and more ways to get the word out about those opportunities. there is more agreement than not on the kind of community we want.

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AppendiXA. the Questions• What kind of community do you want to live in?

• What are the two to three things you think are standing in the way of the kind of community you want?

• How do these issues affect you personally?

• What do you think it means to have a good life?

• What kind of community would you need for everyone to have a chance at a good life?

• What kinds of things are keeping us from having this kind of community?

• When you think about everything we’ve talked about, what do you think could be done to make a difference?

• Who do you trust to take actions on these issues?

During the Education Focus, these questions were added:• Given your aspirations for the community, what do you want education to be like in your

community?

• Overall, how do you think things are going when it comes to education in our community?

• As you think about trying to achieve these aspirations for education, what role(s) can individuals play?

During the Opportunity Focus, these questions were added:• Thinking about young people, in

particular ones who have dropped out of school or don’t have a job right now, what do you think is keeping them from having a chance at a good life?

• How does this affect the community we live in?

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B. Additional ResourcesFor information on local resources to help families, connect with NC2-1-1 at nc211.org or dial 211 .

For information on local volunteer opportunities, contact Hands On Asheville-Buncombe at handsonasheville.org or 828-255-0696.

c. the conversation GroupsYear Group Description2010 United Way Highlands Circle

CommitteeYoung leaders (age 21-40)

“Waiting for Superman” Documentary viewers who joined a conversation after the show’s run

2011 United Way staff Employees at all levels of the organizationFuture Vision - YWCA High School students in an after-school programGED Students - A-B Tech Adults preparing to test for their General Education DiplomaCity of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy

High school students in a summer jobs program

2012 Project Power AmeriCorps members, post-college, placed in school and after-school settings to work with youth

MotherRead - YWCA Latina moms attending Emma Family Resource Center support group

MANOS Latino teens attending Emma Family Resource Center support group

Hillcrest Enrichment Program Youth and adults from program supporting youth successUnited Way Board of Directors

Business, government, heath and education leaders committed to advancing the common good

United Way Loaned Executives

Cross-section of United Way volunteers

Nonprofit Agency Directors Health and Human Service nonprofit Executive DirectorsBlue Ridge Pride Blue Ridge Pride Week board membersYouth Outright Informal LGBT or questioning youth support groupAfrican American Professionals group

Informal group brought together specifically for this conversation

Leadership Asheville Professionals in a year-long leadership training programCarePartners staff Employee group

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d. the demographicsMost groups were asked to provide demographic information. However, it was optional. Based on the responses we received, demographic representation is as follows:

22

American Indian, Aleut, Native American or Alaskan

Native 0%

Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

0%

White, Caucasian or of European descent, 72%

Black, African American or of African Descent, 17%

Other 0%

Ethnicity

28704, 7% 28711, 2%

28714, 1%

28715, 4%

28730, 3%

28732, 4%

28739, 1% 28748, 2% 28753, 1%28759, 1% 28776, 1%

28768, 1%

28778, 2%

28787, 3% 28801, 14%

28803, 13%

28804, 15%

28805, 6%

28806, 20%

Location

31% 42%

23%

0% 2%

65%

34%

0% 2%

72%

17% 9%

13%

87%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Demographics

Ethnicity

American Indian, Aleut, Native American or Alaskan

Native 0%

Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

0%

White, Caucasian or of European descent, 72%

Black, African American or of African Descent, 17%

Other 0%

Ethnicity

28704, 7% 28711, 2%

28714, 1%

28715, 4%

28730, 3%

28732, 4%

28739, 1% 28748, 2% 28753, 1%28759, 1% 28776, 1%

28768, 1%

28778, 2%

28787, 3% 28801, 14%

28803, 13%

28804, 15%

28805, 6%

28806, 20%

Location

31% 42%

23%

0% 2%

65%

34%

0% 2%

72%

17% 9%

13%

87%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Demographics

Location

Demographics

31% 42%

23%

0% 2%

65%

34%

0% 2%

72%

17% 9%

13%

87%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Demographics

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$40,001 - $60,000 15%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

Income Level

American Indian, Aleut, Native American or Alaskan

Native 0%

Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

0%

White, Caucasian or of European descent, 72%

Black, African American or of African Descent, 17%

Other 0%

Ethnicity

28704, 7% 28711, 2%

28714, 1%

28715, 4%

28730, 3%

28732, 4%

28739, 1% 28748, 2% 28753, 1%28759, 1% 28776, 1%

28768, 1%

28778, 2%

28787, 3% 28801, 14%

28803, 13%

28804, 15%

28805, 6%

28806, 20%

Location

31% 42%

23%

0% 2%

65%

34%

0% 2%

72%

17% 9%

13%

87%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Demographics

American Indian, Aleut, Native American or Alaskan

Native 0%

Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

0%

White, Caucasian or of European descent, 72%

Black, African American or of African Descent, 17%

Other 0%

Ethnicity

28704, 7% 28711, 2%

28714, 1%

28715, 4%

28730, 3%

28732, 4%

28739, 1% 28748, 2% 28753, 1%28759, 1% 28776, 1%

28768, 1%

28778, 2%

28787, 3% 28801, 14%

28803, 13%

28804, 15%

28805, 6%

28806, 20%

Location

31% 42%

23%

0% 2%

65%

34%

0% 2%

72%

17% 9%

13%

87%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Demographics

23

English

Spanish

Other

Primary Language

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$40,001 - $60,000 15%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

Income Level

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$40,001 - $60,000 15%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

Income Level

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

17%

$40,001 - $60,000 15%

Income Level

Excellent 54%

Good 39%

Fair 7%

Poor 0%

Quality of the Discussion

Less likely 1%

Equally Likely 45%

More likely 54%

Likelihood for future involvement

Likelihood for future involvement

None 35%

Volunteer 23%

Other 42%

Current Involvement with United Way

English

Spanish

Other

Primary Language

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$40,001 - $60,000 15%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

Income Level

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$40,001 - $60,000 15%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

Income Level

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

Primary Language

Current Involvement with United Way

Quality of the Discussion

Income Level

31% 42%

23%

0% 2%

65%

34%

0% 2%

72%

17% 9%

13%

87%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Demographics

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$40,001 - $60,000 15%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

Income Level

31% 42%

23%

0% 2%

65%

34%

0% 2%

72%

17% 9%

13%

87%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Demographics

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$40,001 - $60,000 15%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

Income Level

31% 42%

23%

0% 2%

65%

34%

0% 2%

72%

17% 9%

13%

87%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Demographics

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$40,001 - $60,000 15%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

Income Level

31% 42%

23%

0% 2%

65%

34%

0% 2%

72%

17% 9%

13%

87%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Demographics

0 - $20,000 20%

$20,001 - $40,000 17%

$40,001 - $60,000 15%

$60,001 - $80,000 11%

$80,001 - $100,000 16%

$100,000 + 21%

Income Level

Less likely 1%

Equally Likely 45%

More likely 54%

Likelihood for future involvement

Likelihood of Future Involvement

with United Way

AcknoWledGements - thanks to the harwood institute for allowing us to liberally reference its materials. For information on Richard harwood’s work, visit theharwoodinstitute.org.

- A special thank you to the 326 people who live, work and attend school in Buncombe county who shared their dreams, worries and ideas. your words will guide our work.

- thanks to the united Way staff and volunteers who supported this work as facilitators and note takers: david Bailey, michelle Bennett, elisabeth Bocklet, norma Bradley, linda Brinkley, maxine Brown, tracy Buchanan, Richard caro, mindy coleman, suzanne deFerie, lance edwards, Jennifer Fletcher, Gina Gallo, nicole herbert, michael holcombe, Gihani isaacs, tina Jepson, Ron katz, charlie lee, kevin montgomery, lisa Ross and megan Ward. project team leader for community conversations is Ann von Brock.